Same Clergy Child Sex Abuse Story – Different City

Excerpt: “As part of a court settlement, the church will soon disclose documents identifying 30 former clergy members accused in sexual abuse cases and the files will also identify church officials that are accused of protecting them.”

73 thoughts on “Same Clergy Child Sex Abuse Story – Different City”

They never had ANY intention of being accountable and transparent unless the legal system FORCED them to do it. He could have released that list years ago. Why now? Because a court is forcing them to do so.

I’m grateful the courts are forcing their list to be revealed, but I’m not fooled by their media opportunity to, once again, twist it around so they APPEAR to be doing the right thing.

Many hold the same views re being fooled here in Australia with the Truth, Justice and Healing Commission, put in place by ACBC, [more than one already being questioned on cover-ups by other inquiries], all Catholics and on the payroll of the church.

Just like the word transparency was used in the Fr Paul case after he had been allowed to stay at the parish a full year while being investigated..on his way out the word “transparency” is used in explanation letter…amazing

So parishioner Mary Adami is really impressed with the new pope and the actions he has taken. It is a shame that news people either don’t have the knowledge or don’t have the intestinal fortitude to ask follow up questions of people that they interview. What exactly has Pope Francis done to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by pedophile priests. And its not only local newspaper people. Look at how Matt Lauer has conducted interviews with Timothy Dolan Soft ball questions followed by more soft ball questions with no follow up.I noticed that Archbishop Chaput was not on the list of newly named cardinals. Now that I can applaud the pope for.

In one of my theology classes a professor (priest) openly told the class that disclosing any matter that involved immoral behavior on the part of a brother priest would cause you to be ostracized. What occurs within a diocese involving priests stays with the brothers (priests). “Otherwise, the rest of your priesthood will be a living Hell.” The rationale involved the tenet that these matters are never shared with the laity.

drwho13: I want to thank you for sharing that bit of information with us. While I always thought that there were priests who had much more information about the other priests who molested young children. I thought that their was this “secret” brotherhood. But you have confirmed that and I thank you for this.

Drwho13: Thank you for the connection to the interview with Tom Doyle on the abuse crisis. I admire that man so much. One wonders what would have happened if the Hierarchy had actually listened to him years ago. Instead they attacked him, much like they do victims who question them today.

“Look at how Matt Lauer has conducted interviews with Timothy Dolan Soft ball questions followed by more soft ball questions with no follow up.”

Jim, I have little use for Tim Dolan; but like it or not, Dolan holds a considerable amount of power. There are millions of pew sheep under his control. ‘Diss’ Dolan and you’re going to get jumped. Lauer or any other reporter doesn’t want to get involved with all that would entail.

drwho13: That is exactly my point. At one time in this country, there were reporters who did not fear the likes of Timothy Dolan.They took their jobs as independent reporters seriously. They were not out to make friends or keep friends. They wanted to get to the bottom of things. Are their reporters like that out there today? Some but not nearly enough. Like the priests in the seminary told not to make waves, many reporters also don’t want to make waves.If the local Bishop does not like you,,that promotion will not come.I believe in separation of Church and State. But I also believe in separation of Church and news media. If you look at the interviews Lauer has done with Dolan, Lauer treats Dolan like he is God. There is so much deferential treatment. And that kind of treatment has allowed the Church to get away with too much for too long.

“George’s letter also emphasizes, in Italic and underlined letters, that the files do not concern new cases of abuse, but only those that “took place years ago and many of the priests involved are dead.”

Thank you for that link, Dennis. Am I just being dense by not understanding why the Archdiocese of Chicago feels that the release of files of abuse by long ago cases of which a lot of the abusers are dead is going to make us feel better or that the Church is being transparent? Why not put their energy into a letter revealing what is being done TODAY to control or outline their new methods of overseeing prevention of pedophile clergy? Is that because there really is no heartfelt plan in place? Is it just me??

I’m on your side. The amount of time that has past or if the abuser is dead or alive means nothing to me and “I” will speak for other survivors that would agree with me it means nothing to them as well. But the church would like you to believe that if years have gone by, and the abuser is gone, the pain is also gone.

Another of the many, many times they Never consider the victim. The abusers may be dead after so many years, do you know what isn’t dead? Our memories of the abuse. Memories that live in our mind our souls and our bodies. Till the day we die, we take with us this horror of what a catholic priest we called “father” did to us in a dark room, terror gripping at our very soul!

Vicky: Bravo! We have a special bond. The abuse you and I suffered happened many years ago. And yet most days it feels like it happened yesterday. Some who post here talk about being survivors and not victims. I beg to disagree. I will be a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the Roman Catholic Clergy til I draw my last breath. No amount of healing will ever change that. I am also a survivor. I will be a survivor til I draw the same last breath. It does not ever go away. I hate to be the harbinger of bad news and the deep sharp pain will lessen but it will always be there.Yet, for me there is much more anger towards those who did this to us, to those who could have stopped this , than there was last week, last year, ten years ago or in my case fifty years ago. Perhaps. reading about the latest incident of the Catholic Church telling itself and others who will listen what a great job they have done since 2005 in stopping the sexual abuse of children relieves them of their immense responsibility for what happened to you and I.But we both know differently. The games they are playing and have been playing with the lives of victims is a cruel hoax I

I agree with you. For many of us the pain (nightmares, PTSD, depression, anxiety) will never end until our Lord calls us. We all will have our good days and bad days. I have turned what Hermley did to me when I am having one of those bad days to anger. How dare he do what he did to me. I am able to look myself in a mirror and hold my head up because I choose to fight and be a voice (sometimes vulgar) to see the catholic church responds to every case of sexual abuse.I will warn others though my steps may not be the right to follow. You must be willing to be called LIAR, bigot and anti-Catholic church hater, you have to have a little thick skin. All in all for me I have a purpose and that’s living and that’s being a survivor.

You are here posting your comments so I will assume it is a purpose of yours so in my book that makes you a survivor.

I have read several articles on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s impending release of files relating to sexual abuse. In them, local Catholics in Chicago generally support the release of the files, remarking how the transparency is integral to healing. What they DON’T call the Archdiocese on is accountability. In other words, Catholics in Chicago are fine with the release of information detailing the history of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese, but they are NOT fine with their Archdiocese being held accountable fiscally, or with offenders and colluders landing in criminal courts of law, or with changes in SOL laws. “Owning up to it” is enough for them. Over, finished, done. Can we move on now??? It’s a “we owe the victims NOTHING” mentality.

Dear Jim and Vicki,
I agree wholeheartedly. My loved one is still a victim after 40 years. What he hasn’t tried to move on, block it out (in good ways and bad), anything…yet here he was admitted once again to a Psych Hospital this week. I know the rage I feel. What kind of organization can not or does not care to see what these criminal acts do to victims, and then deny, downplay, not offer remorse, etc.? I cannot even imagine how a victim feels by the act itself and then the slap in the face over and over. I stand behind you all the way, and wish that peace will eventually come, but I also know that is much easier said than done. Wishing all my best.

Dear MC, I want to convey to you how very sorry I am to read your post concerning your loved one. Every time I read about the survivor who is struggling, my heart hurts. I understand so well what the ramifications are when one is sexually abused by anyone and most especially a priest. I wholeheartedly get your rage. One of the ways I have been able to move forward is to expect nothing from this institution. There is a peace in that. I was watching the History Channel on this program they identify the Bishops and priests in the Vatican, the year 1950 where they {bishops, Pope) were instrumental in helping the commanders of the death camps excape to South America. Six million jews, children and babies among them were murdered and yet this institution, the holy, catholic church made sure these murderers found safe haven. Their evil know no bounds. So, I expect nothing from this institution. Know that my heart goes out to you and your loved one. In my quiet moment when I speak to my God your loved one will be remembered.

believe if they really knew what a child suffers, abusers would be put away in a nano second. So much of what you just shared reminds me of the program I just watched on the history channel. The Bishops in the Vatican helped those who were in charge of the camps in Germany during the holocaust excape to South America. These hitler cammanders

Vicky: You bring up some of the serious shortcomings of Catholic Priests and Bishops during the years following World War II. I don’t ever remember studying about this in our history books in Catholic High School. Not much about the atrocities committed on behalf of the Catholic Church during the period of the Inquisition either. If you really want to know what the Catholic Church’s record of inhumanity to others is study these two periods. Or if you don’t want to go back that far, just go Bishop Accountability.Org. and look how the Church has handled the sexual abuse of children. Just think, you and I are making history.

MC: I am saddened to hear about your loved one being admitted to a Psych Hospital. Sometimes I think there are more sane people in Psychiatric Hospitals than out here in the real world. I remember when I was about the age of fifteen going to see my mother in a hospital. She was suffering from a nervous breakdown .Now one could argue that raising seven children would be enough to send any person toward a nervous breakdown .I remember that they did shock therapy back then. itt was all the rage. She never seemed the same afterwards. She clung more closely to her religion afterwards .and never had to go back. My mother suffered from severe depression for most of her life She refused to admit that she was depressed, never took any medication for it and became my role model for dealing with mental illness. There was so much shame in admitting to it back in the day. Today, I tell everyone that I am crazy. They just laugh and walk away.. . .

After leaving Mr. Tucker some of my thoughts about victims/survivors I read your comment. Please, first you need to take care of yourself because you are a victim. The love you have for your family member is shown in your comment. This is one thing the catholic church does not see or wants to ignore, the amount of victims that one abuser can create.

Dennis: When you call me Mr. Tucker. I feel older than I really am.They call me that at work a lot of the time. I believe they are using it in a respectful of your elders kind of way. I guess it’s better than being called old man or Grandpa. anyway Jim or J.T. is good for me.

Dennis thank you for reminding us about all the victims. My spouse is a victim in how he has been cheated having to deal with my depression, anxiety, anger, physical health problems resulting from stress, impact on intimacy, ultra sensitivity, nightmares, eating disorders …. Need I go on?
My children have been impacted by many of the same things especially witnessing the arguments when I was either snapping back in my defense ( taking a comment about overlooking vegetables as a failure thinking I’m worthless again) or crying at the drop of a hat.
So much pain. After all these years I finally got some therapy and meds. One of my adult kids met my therapist and thanked her for giving back a mom. I am a victim as she is, but struggling to live which makes me a survivor too.
MC you and your loved one are in my prayers
S

In reading drwho13’s link to Fr. Thomas Doyle’s comments, the part where Doyle says that clerics are removed from reality on the issue of sexual abuse because they confine themselves to speaking among themselves hit home with me. In their “clerical vacuum,” they remain removed from the plight of victims and accountability to them. However, I can think of one group of people who clerics regularly speak to other than themselves and it is their “dream team” lawyers. How those people can sleep at night is beyond my comprehension.

“This Thursday, for the first time ever, the Vatican will be questioned about its record on child sexual violence by an international body. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva is holding the meeting in two sessions on Jan 16, each three hours long. SNAP and our attorneys from CCR will be there. Later in the evening (Geneva time) CCR and SNAP are hosting a reportback via Livestream directly after the review to report about it to survivors, advocates and supporters. Two separate events and you can view them both on the internet.

Watch the UN review via livestream here!

The review will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2014 from 10am-1pm CET, (4am-7am EST) where the Vatican will be reviewed on their compliance with the Convention on Rights of the Child and then from 3pm-6pm CET (9am-12 noon EST) the Vatican will be reviewed on their compliance with the Optional Protocols on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

**This will be broadcast in the English language. This is broadcast by the UN.”

Vicky said “One of the ways I have been able to move forward is to expect nothing from this institution. There is a peace in that. ” Vicky I agree there is a peace in that..it is like in other areas of life when you may expect something from an individual and are constantly let down or disappointed..after awhile it is healthier to realize it isn’t going to happen. I will always engage with the Archdiocese because of children but I have completely different expectations now than I did 3 years ago.
There has been so much bad news recently that I always worry about the survivors and how it affects them. I always go back to the thought that the victims can know that they saved an entire generation of kids by their actions. Children are safer because so many priests have been removed and the only way that happened is because of the children that were harmed becoming adults and making sure it didn’t happen to others . In the end, as adults you protected kids..they did not.

Kathy: I understand the reality of what you and Vicky are saying. In many ways , by its words and actions, the Catholic Church has told us they will never change .You say that you have completely different expectations today than you did three years ago. What were your expectations three years ago versus what they are today? And why have they changed? Is it the realization that you are going up against an organization incapable. of change?You say that children are safer today than they were before. I think the fact that many priests have been removed is part of that but I also believe that the awareness level has been raised by people like yourself and Susan who brought this venue into being.But will the awareness and vigilance continue?. We have seen in the Father Paul case just how out of touch with reality the Archdiocese remains. I worry about the future. Are there future molesters being trained in Catholic Seminaries? Are they being taught it is more important to keep the secrets than protect children?

Jim very often they will reference all the steps they have taken to protect children. The background checks for staff and volunteers are important because anyone can be an abuser but the irony is that it was the abusive clergy and cover up that even led to this step..no background check is going to keep a kid safe from an abusive clergy member because they were not prosecuted.

There are however a few ways that kids are better protected.. the laws changed..now people can be prosecuted for not reporting abuse..including the people in the positions such as Msgr Lynn held for many years. The threat of prison is always a good motivator for making a report.

The awareness that you spoke of..these kids are so aware. A woman called me few years back and felt so bad because when she was a student many years ago,the boys in her class used to whisper about a certain priest and had formed sort of a buddy system to avoid being alone with him…the girls in the class thought the boys were just being boys..immature maybe..now she realizes what was happening..30 years later of course because never when we were growing up would any of us (non victims) imagined such a thing happening. What was “unheard
of years ago is now “heard” by this generation on the news,in the newspapers..etc..
Laws changing and awareness are the biggest changes. Background checks are good to keep known abusers out of schools but the laws and awareness is what has been the real change and that was all because of the victims coming forward.

My expectations however have drastically changed,I was incredibly naive going into this thinking that people will do the right thing for kids just because it is the right thing to do. It was not illegal to keep Fr Paul or any other priest at a parish while being investigated..it is not illegal to place Msgr Lynn at a parish while under house arrest..it is not illegal to allow patients at a clergy treatment center to wander the community..no laws broken, but doing the right thing for the sake of children….?

Kathy, thank you for your response to me. In therapy they have a name for hoping someone will do the right thing, instead being disappointed, it’s called being “set up”. I feel much better knowing this institution will never face the truth of the horrific harm they have caused, not only to the victim, but the victim’s family, everyone is affected in some way. I will never forget when I went to Beth’s church and I spoke to the people there, one women thanked me for telling my story she said “you have put a face to this scandal”. My main intent in speaking out has always been to help save children, thank you for

I accept that the representatives of the Catholic Church have raped children and lied about it. I accept that they have gone to unethical lengths to hide their crimes and current behaviors. I accept that not all, but some of the very “best” priests will lie to protect their bishop. I accept that the clergy will always choose self-preservation at the expense of everything else, including the rape of children.

With acceptance comes freedom. By accepting the truths of these experiences and the stories of the victims, I am free to choose my next steps.

I will always protect children, but the methods have changed because it’s more effective to force the hierarchy, by law, to change their behaviors than it is to rely on their ethical and moral responsibilities. Since I have accepted the above, I no longer beat my head against the wall trying to get the priesthood to see the light, but channel my efforts in changing the political climate, work toward laws that protect children and support victims, and teach another generation about the truths of sexual abuses, including clergy.

There is a difference between knowing what the RCC has done and accepting it. Many are stuck in the knowing…and this does not offer freedom.

I was reading your comment and the last paragraph jumped out at me when I was reading about the clergy treatment center. I don’t know if you were speaking about the facility in Childs, Maryland but such a facility does exist and ran by the OSFS.

I did my own investigation into this facility after I was contacted by a priest who notified me he was sickened by his fellow residents who were placed at a facility he retired to. He informed me there were plenty of clergy members at the facility who had credible accusations of child abuse and they had the freedom to come and go as they pleased, and use of the computer with internet access and at no time were these residents supervised.

I was also informed by a ADA this facility was forced to remove any minors who were working at the facility for their safety.

Now the Shocker: This priest contacted me because he informed me one of the residents he knew at this facility happened to be my abuser Fr. Hermley.

Dennis I don’t know how long you have followed C4C but last year I encountered a patient from the St John Vianney Center in the parking lot of an Archdiocesan high school..file that under can’t make this stuff up. While this patient was not being treated for child related issues I came to find out that those patients treated for such issues as child porn are not necessarily banned from walking around a community of children with schools, daycare centers, parks, bowling alley all nearby.

Also at the Villa in Darby where many abusive priests are in the Prayer and Penance program they are allowed to come and go..signing in and out .
Very interesting I found out that up until around the 1950’s there was an Archdiocesan facility that served as a type of ‘ecclesiastical prison” for problems priests located in rural Chester County ..rather isolated from the rest of the population at the time. Too bad they closed that in the 50’s.

I have only been on your site for a little over a month now. One of the better moves I have made. I regret that I did not know about it sooner.

From what I have read every person truly cares about the feelings and well-being of others who post here. There are no attacks and no reason to be put in a defense posture like other places.

I do question though one thing and that is the thumbs down. My wife (who also reads your site) and I discussed what type of people would give a thumb’s down to a person who pours out their heart to complete strangers. Another example how does Survivor’s Wife get four thumbs down and only two thumbs up for asking for a link to Cardinal George’s letter, or how does Jim Tucker get a thumb down for letting me know its o.k. to address him as Jim or J.T. ?

I know its nothing to worry about, I’m more concerned what people write but what’s Upppp with that. (sorry about that I woke up in a great mood and my daughter was walking around the house saying that and I can’t stop laughing)

I said it before and I will say it again, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.

Thank You

p.s. I hope nothing destroys the mood I’m in and I truly hope everybody here has a great day also.

Dennis,
I wish the features of thumbs up and down would be eliminated since it prevents people from posting or “showing their face” if they don’t agree.

There are so many lurkers here…a lot are Catholics struggling with what they are reading.

Another thing is that some posters, myself included, will get a thumbs down because someone may not have liked what I’ve said in the past…so every post from then on is marked a thumbs down. You’ll notice a pattern with other posters as well. Or they don’t agree with the language of it, the accusation of a priest, sarcasm, the direction of the wind, my eye color, etc. Why someone would mark a thumbs down when a victim shares their story is as cowardly as the church and impossible to figure out. Don’t even try.

I take it as a compliment. It means someone is reading something they don’t like…enough to comment in their minute, cowardly way. But…they are still reading it!! Ha!

Remember the time that Beth posted something like “we all need to protect kids in society’ or something like that and she received a bunch of thumbs down..either just angry people who don’t even read the comments or people who do not want kids protected. Pretty sad way for a person to spend their time.

Dennis: Someone in an earlier post talked about having a thick hide .I have never been able to develop that kind of hide.I have always taken what people say to me at heart.I guess that makes me way too sensitive. That is just who I am. But one of the benefits of posting here and seeing the thumbs up or down , is that I am developing a thicker hide. I realize that everyone is not going to agree with me .And that is ok. There are some who hit the thumbs down as a way to get to you,That is not happening.

“But if adults are asking this question and don’t have the answers its time for society to pack it ” Great response, Dennis. Could this possibly be a sincere question? I was taught from a very early age, as I know most of you were, the answer to their ludicrous question. We were taught to respect everyone, especially and unfortunately, the abusive priests. And Dennis, and the other names that are familiar to me on here, I also wish I had found this site much earlier. The abusive site we were on (you guys called me “the good anonymous”, as opposed to the bad anonymous’ who were a lot of my relatives trying to defend their uncle in prison, and attacked us and others trying to defend victims, because they bashed the victims, including my brother, as well as Dennis so badly.) The things that I read there made me feel worse about clergy abuse, if that’s even possible. With the help of this wonderful site, and the respectful and empathetic people on it are making feel much better than before. Many thanks!

Don’t worry the “thumbs downers” will soon be preoccupied with the upcoming Penn State trial and will be filling blogs with their comments about their outrage concerning the PSU officials being charged with child endargarment even though technically the crimes took place prior 2007…oh wait..no they won’t.

The laws are changed and hopefully will get better. The ecclesial church has not changed. They are not sorry and are not seeking reconciliation with their victims. The victims are many: those individual who were abused, their parents, their children, their siblings, those who work in the catholic schools and parishes, the children who have had to change schools because of shut downs (ripple affect), teachers who have lost their jobs, and the parishes who are facing closures because their parish communities are diminishing. The people left in the pews who have lost friends. The remaining clergy who work till they are completely exhausted and feel their parishioners backing away. In every corner of church, the abuse and the cover up will continue to affect us all. I am with Kathy on this one. I had hoped when the news broke on this scandal years ago, aggressive steps would be taken by the church to reconcile with victims and reform the church. I am very disheartened. The church is not truly sorry and the bishops have made this perfectly clear. I have more faith in the legal system on this moral issue than I have in the church leaders.

The UN commission pounded Vatican spokespersons with questions indicating its objection to the way the Holy See has handled EVERY conceivable facet of the sexual abuse crisis and the rights of children. The Holy See is and has been an utter failure in terms of reporting data, transparency, educating clerics on the rights of children, accountability to victims… you name the domain, the Holy See is out to lunch on it! Questions having to do with the Church’s history of child trafficking in Ireland and Spain will make you sick! Disturbing and beyond belief. Nothing short of organized crime events. The constant mention of Canon Law by Vatican clerics will transport you to some sort of Catholic fantasy legal land where clerics reign and the rest of us lose. CHILDREN lose! The constant distinction made by Vatican clerics between the Holy See and the Catholic Church will floor you. As if the Holy See is in no way to blame for what happens in the Church beyond its doorstep.

Talking about the “same old story”, he’s another fine statement from the Vatican leadership at the UN conference in Geneva:

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican’s representative in Geneva, told a U.N. hearing “such crimes can never be justified.” Tomasi said that the church welcomes suggestions that could help promote respect for the rights of children.

SUCH CRIMES CAN NEVER BE JUSTIFIED ??????

WELCOMES SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD HELP PROMOTE RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN ??????

Michael: that is called talking out of both sides of the mouth at the same time. American native Indians called it talking with a forked tongue. I don’t know what the Vatican calls it but they and their hierarchy have been doing it for some time. They have become quite the experts at it .I don’t expect that it will change anytime soon.

WELCOMES SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD HELP PROMOTE RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN ??????

Don’t touch a child in a inappropriate manner, don’t speak to a child in a inappropriate manner, and understand they are not for your personal enjoyment. The answers when you look at it are so very easy.

But if adults are asking this question and don’t have the answers its time for society to pack it in.

Dennis, I had the same reaction! Welcomes suggestions that could help promote respect for the rights of Children! Do we not learn as early as 1st grade what is right and what is wrong? This statement coming from a priest? They have been preaching good and evil for centuries, I am also at a loss for words. My 1st question to them would have been, “are you kidding me”? They really do live in a different world and by their own rules!

Vicky and Dennis and Jim,
I had commented above (quote a few comments above for some reason) almost exactly what you have said, Vicky. It’s almost like someone is pulling our leg, which is why I asked if that question about if suggestions are welcome, etc. could possibly be a serious question. Maybe a first grader should reply-it seems like they would know a lot more than Tomasi. Also, did he say where we could send our suggestions, because I’m sure that he is eagerly waiting a response…

IS THIS MY ADOPTED FAMILY ? I have never ever forgotten about you and most important your brother. I have just read your other comment and when I seen GOOD ANONYMOUS it was a immediate kick to the head. Please if you still have my e-mail address please contact me. If you do not have it I will leave it in case you wish to speak.

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“Have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.”
(Matthew 10:26-27)

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